Qin Changsheng’s escape did not surprise Mo Fan, as Bing Liu’s words had hinted at such concerns from the start. Mo Fan had long suspected the scholar would likely flee.
Hearing it confirmed by Bing Jiu, he was not particularly shocked.
“His escape is for the better. It means I can deal with them myself in the future!”
Mo Fan took a deep breath, a faint smile appearing on his face.
Despite Qin Changsheng and Du Ya’s formidable strength, he was not overly afraid.
On the contrary, Mo Fan believed that given enough time, he could fear nothing.
Lu Tantai’s death weighed heavily on him, and this matter demanded resolution. Mo Fan would not forget.
His words caught Bing Jiu’s attention, but after a glance at Mo Fan, he quickly looked away.
Following Bing Jiu, Mo Fan arrived at the central area of the market, looking up to see a towering clock tower reaching the underground dome.
“So this is the place.”
Mo Fan murmured to himself, his gaze fixed on the bronze bell at the tower’s top, understanding it was the source of the market’s chimes.
At the base of the tower, Bing Qi was already waiting, accompanied by a boy and girl dressed in red robes.
“You’ll go up with Bing Qi next!”
Bing Jiu said to Mo Fan, nodding to Bing Qi.
“Come with me!”
Bing Qi spoke coldly, turning to walk into the clock tower. Mo Fan hurriedly followed.
Inside, Mo Fan saw no stairs leading upward. Instead, there was a raised circular platform on the floor, inscribed with red runes, surrounded by four pillars, each with a groove at the top.
“This is a teleportation array. Once activated, it will take us to the top quickly.”
Bing Qi gave a brief explanation, stepping onto the platform. After Mo Fan joined her, she casually tossed four spirit stones, each landing precisely in the grooves on the pillars.
Immediately, Mo Fan felt the runes on the platform glow, and his body seemed to float, rising at a terrifying speed.
In an instant, the weightless sensation vanished.
Looking down, Mo Fan saw he was still on a circular platform, but the surroundings had changed. No longer on the first floor, the nearby giant bell confirmed it.
By the bell, a tall woman in red stood with her hands behind her back, gazing into the distance from the railing.
“Miss, I’ve brought him.”
Bing Qi approached the woman respectfully.
“You wanted to see me?”
Yun Rou turned, looking at Mo Fan in the teleportation array.
“Mo Fan pays respects to Senior!”
Mo Fan took a deep breath, stepped out of the array, and bowed to Yun Rou.
Yun Rou’s face was veiled, obscuring her appearance. Mo Fan, assuming her to be the market’s master and the adopted daughter of the White Tiger Saint King, presumed her cultivation was exceptionally high, hence addressing her as “Senior.”
The moment he saw her, Mo Fan confirmed his earlier guess.
The White Tiger Saint King was indeed the old man from that day, and Yun Rou was the woman supporting him.
“Senior?”
Yun Rou paused, then said, “No need for formalities. Isn’t your toad demon name ‘Lai Bao’? Why is it Mo Fan now?”
“Senior, before Lai Bao, my name was always Mo Fan,” Mo Fan said with a smile.
“Very well, state your purpose!”
Yun Rou nodded, turning away to leave Mo Fan with her back.
“Senior, I heard you have a pill furnace. Would you be willing to sell it?”
Mo Fan got straight to the point.
Yun Rou’s eyes flashed with surprise. She glanced at Bing Qi before looking back at the market, a slight smile on her lips. “I do have a pill furnace, but I’m afraid you can’t afford it.”
Hearing she indeed had a furnace, Mo Fan’s heart leapt. He said firmly, “Name your price!”
To Mo Fan, how expensive could a pill furnace be?
And he was not short of spirit stones.
“How many spirit stones do you think a treasure-grade pill furnace is worth?”
Yun Rou turned, her gaze playful.
“Treasure… treasure?!”
Mo Fan’s eyes widened, speechless.
A treasure-grade item far surpassed ordinary artifacts. For human cultivators, only those at the Golden Core stage could barely refine such items. How could spirit stones measure its value?
Seeing Mo Fan silent and embarrassed, Yun Rou continued, “I heard you cured Bing Liu’s poison. Are you immune to toxins?”
“You could say that, but not entirely yet,” Mo Fan said, frowning slightly and nodding.
“I’ve heard of a spirit body that can neutralize all poisons, but its cultivation is extremely harsh, requiring the body to be tempered with the world’s deadliest toxins. You’re seeking my furnace for this, aren’t you?” Yun Rou looked at Mo Fan.
“Not seeking, buying!”
Mo Fan frowned, speaking firmly, then met Yun Rou’s eyes. “Did Bai Yaoyao tell you?”
Few knew of his pursuit of the Ten Thousand Poisons Body. Since Bai Yaoyao was the only one with him here and had disappeared for a time earlier, he couldn’t help but suspect her.
“No, it’s easy to deduce. You bought poison in my market, purchased that unwanted furnace from the Hundred Weapons Pavilion, killed a centipede demon, and now you can neutralize snake demon venom. Put it together, and the answer is clear, isn’t it?”
Yun Rou smiled, leaving Mo Fan stunned. He hadn’t expected her to deduce his cultivation of the Ten Thousand Poisons Body from mere clues.
That she knew his every move was less surprising.
Seeing Mo Fan silent, Yun Rou continued, “Don’t worry, a spirit body means little to me. I’m not interested in stealing your cultivation method. I can lend you the furnace, but not for free.”
“What do you want me to do?” Mo Fan asked.
“Do you think I need you to do anything for me?”
Yun Rou chuckled, sizing him up. “Here’s the deal. I’ll lend you the furnace, but you must give me something of equal value in exchange. How’s that?”
Something of equal value?
Mo Fan frowned, thought for a moment, then took a deep breath. He spat out a piece of human skin paper, which floated to Yun Rou, wrapped in his demonic aura.
Yun Rou took the paper, unfolded it, and her eyes lit up. She quickly stored it away.
“As expected, the Ten Thousand Poisons Old Ghost died in these hundred thousand mountains, and his inheritance fell to you, a toad demon. Your luck is extraordinary,” Yun Rou said with a smile, then held out her hand. A palm-sized, ink-black pill furnace appeared, exuding an ancient charm.
Mo Fan’s gaze was instantly drawn to the furnace, while he pondered her words. The human skin paper likely came from the “Ten Thousand Poisons Old Ghost,” though how it ended up with the scorpion demon, he didn’t know.
He had memorized the paper’s contents. Trading it for the furnace to complete his final two medicinal baths wasn’t a bad deal.
He was too eager to achieve the Ten Thousand Poisons Spirit Body.
Only then could he confidently face Du Ya.
“I keep my word!”
Yun Rou said, tossing the furnace to Mo Fan, adding, “You must not leave my market while using it!”
“Agreed!”
Mo Fan nodded.
He knew she was worried he’d flee with the furnace. Knowing her identity, he didn’t dare entertain such thoughts.
If he grew greedy and took the furnace, he likely wouldn’t leave the market alive.
“Go now!”
Yun Rou waved her hand, turning away, no longer paying him attention.
Mo Fan bowed and retreated, following Bing Qi back to the teleportation array. With a flash of light, he vanished within it.
